Use the Summary area below to collaborate with your group to create your summary of the connections between white privilege, the colorblind perspective, and social dominance theory.
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Note: You don't need to sign your work or indicate which sections you contributed; your facilitator can see your contributions in the history of the page. Your group summary should demonstrate your collaboration rather than being a collection of unconnected individual ideas. When your group decides that the summary is finished, have one group member remove "(Draft)" below so your facilitator will know that it is ready for review.
Summary
20. I can easily buy posters, post-cards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys, and children’s magazines featuring people of my race.
I chose this as my first example because in my opinion media has been a huge contributor to the continuing struggle in race relations. This would be a great place to start so that black children will not pick up white dolls and say that they trust them more or that they are good. This is an influence that affects us before we enter any educational system and if we can begin there, when we enter the educational system, a lot of the work will already be done for teachers.
5. I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented.
I chose this one even though it is similar to my first choice, I feel like these two are quite closely related. This has a huge impact on teaching what the majority or the norm should be like. Anything outside of the norm is obviously missing something or deviant in a way. I think this has a huge impact on people and how they perceive themselves, society and their roles in that society.
22. I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having coworkers on the job suspect that I got it because of race. I chose this as my second example because affirmative action is such a debated issue in race relations. People are so opposed because they really don’t understand that without it , it really is difficult to come up the an equal starting line. As I talked about in another post, coming from below zero and using affirmative action to get to zero, or the starting line, is not a hand out or a hand up, it is just removing the giant obstacle that is the racist system in front of the starting line.
14. I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.
I chose this because I have heard this from my mom growing up. People were always amazed she didn’t drink-and “that is so unlike your people.” She was always on time to jobs and never called in sick and this too was said in a manner that was always filled with amazement that she was so different from “her kind”. (please read with sarcasm) These are experiences I did not have growing up and even though I would get angry and defend my mom, it wasn’t me they were talking about so I do not know how she really felt about it, I could only imagine. It made me sick.
12. I can swear, or dress in second hand clothes, or not answer letters, without having people attribute these choices to the bad morals, the poverty, or the illiteracy of my race.
I chose this as my last example because I feel like this is a major problem with our society. When an Anglo does something illegal or immoral, he is seen as abnormal. When a Hispanic does the same thing, he is just living up to what is expected of him. These are very unfair prejudices that fit the stereotype threat we discussed earlier. If you expect a child to do bad things, it is likely that child will and you will have pushed him into it albeit unintentionally.
2. If I should need to move, I can be pretty sure of renting or purchasing housing in an area, which I can afford and in which I would want to live. I chose this as this is something that has been on my mind lately. My wife and I are thinking of moving into a nicer house and out of the neighborhood that we currently live in. For us we are moving because we this hourse a starter home and we now ready to move into a nicer. A lot black people have moved into the neighborhood and I have heard many white nieghbors complain about a decrease in property vaule ans I think it must be tough to be a person of color and knowing that moving into a neighborhood is going to upset many in the neighborhood.
14. I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race. When you are a person of color, I think you are always dealing with the fact that anything you do is representative of your race whereas white people's actions are only representative of their personal character.
3. I can be pretty sure that my neighbors in such a location will be neutral or pleasant to me. As a stated above, being a person of color makes you unsure how neighbors think about you. This doubt would play part in your confidence as a member of that community. This is why I think many neighborhoods in the US are still segregated.
18. I can be pretty sure that if I ask to talk to “the person in charge,” I will be facing a person of my race. This is a privilege I never thought about until I read McIntosh's article but certainly is a powerful white privilege. I am not fearful of asking to speak to a manager or person in charge and feel that I can usually connect to that person and explain my case. This is not afforded to minorites.
22. I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having coworkers on the job suspect that I got it because of race. Another white privelege that most people would not think about. When white people get a job they feel they are the best appilicant, but when black people get a job there is always a fear that others would assume they got the job based on other factors. This is unfair but the reality of where we are as a nation.
While we chose different ideas to discuss, I feel like these can all be connected in many different ways but one main way is through media. Media is the most common way any of us gets our information and to see these things repeatedly slanted in one direction changes our perspective. This has been a true propaganda tool both intentionally as well as unintentionally. I think that by having the dominant group control what people read, watch, see and think about has an undeniable affect in favor of that group. Also, depending upon the imagery, it can have an incredibly detrimental affect on the non-dominant group. The effects of the media appear to be rarely considered and continue to perpetuate stereotypes (positive for the dominant group and negative for the non-dominant group) and promote fear.
If we were to start a campaign of reprogramming that actually showed all people as equal I think there would be a shift in the perceptions of mainstream culture. This would inevitably change the relationships between people, I feel, in a positive way. There will certainly always be people who are racist, sexist, homophobic, classist etc. but we can do our best to limit those people to a minority.
I think many people would admit that racism is in part unintentional. We need to act in order to ensure that there is a change in the ways that we think. White privelege may not be something that many White people are fully aware of. Media certaintly plays a huge part as does politics. I feel that we have many years ahead of us before racism will end.
Home > Activity 4-A-3: White Privilege > Group D
Instructions:
Note:
You don't need to sign your work or indicate which sections you contributed; your facilitator can see your contributions in the history of the page. Your group summary should demonstrate your collaboration rather than being a collection of unconnected individual ideas. When your group decides that the summary is finished, have one group member remove "(Draft)" below so your facilitator will know that it is ready for review.
Summary
20. I can easily buy posters, post-cards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys, and children’s magazines featuring people of my race.
I chose this as my first example because in my opinion media has been a huge contributor to the continuing struggle in race relations. This would be a great place to start so that black children will not pick up white dolls and say that they trust them more or that they are good. This is an influence that affects us before we enter any educational system and if we can begin there, when we enter the educational system, a lot of the work will already be done for teachers.
5. I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented.
I chose this one even though it is similar to my first choice, I feel like these two are quite closely related. This has a huge impact on teaching what the majority or the norm should be like. Anything outside of the norm is obviously missing something or deviant in a way. I think this has a huge impact on people and how they perceive themselves, society and their roles in that society.
22. I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having coworkers on the job suspect that I got it because of race.
I chose this as my second example because affirmative action is such a debated issue in race relations. People are so opposed because they really don’t understand that without it , it really is difficult to come up the an equal starting line. As I talked about in another post, coming from below zero and using affirmative action to get to zero, or the starting line, is not a hand out or a hand up, it is just removing the giant obstacle that is the racist system in front of the starting line.
14. I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.
I chose this because I have heard this from my mom growing up. People were always amazed she didn’t drink-and “that is so unlike your people.” She was always on time to jobs and never called in sick and this too was said in a manner that was always filled with amazement that she was so different from “her kind”. (please read with sarcasm) These are experiences I did not have growing up and even though I would get angry and defend my mom, it wasn’t me they were talking about so I do not know how she really felt about it, I could only imagine. It made me sick.
12. I can swear, or dress in second hand clothes, or not answer letters, without having people attribute these choices to the bad morals, the poverty, or the illiteracy of my race.
I chose this as my last example because I feel like this is a major problem with our society. When an Anglo does something illegal or immoral, he is seen as abnormal. When a Hispanic does the same thing, he is just living up to what is expected of him. These are very unfair prejudices that fit the stereotype threat we discussed earlier. If you expect a child to do bad things, it is likely that child will and you will have pushed him into it albeit unintentionally.
2. If I should need to move, I can be pretty sure of renting or purchasing housing in an area, which I can
afford and in which I would want to live.
I chose this as this is something that has been on my mind lately. My wife and I are thinking of moving into a nicer house and out of the neighborhood that we currently live in. For us we are moving because we this hourse a starter home and we now ready to move into a nicer. A lot black people have moved into the neighborhood and I have heard many white nieghbors complain about a decrease in property vaule ans I think it must be tough to be a person of color and knowing that moving into a neighborhood is going to upset many in the neighborhood.
14. I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.
When you are a person of color, I think you are always dealing with the fact that anything you do is representative of your race whereas white people's actions are only representative of their personal character.
3. I can be pretty sure that my neighbors in such a location will be neutral or pleasant to me.
As a stated above, being a person of color makes you unsure how neighbors think about you. This doubt would play part in your confidence as a member of that community. This is why I think many neighborhoods in the US are still segregated.
18. I can be pretty sure that if I ask to talk to “the person in charge,” I will be facing a person of my race.
This is a privilege I never thought about until I read McIntosh's article but certainly is a powerful white privilege. I am not fearful of asking to speak to a manager or person in charge and feel that I can usually connect to that person and explain my case. This is not afforded to minorites.
22. I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having coworkers on the job suspect that I got it because of race.
Another white privelege that most people would not think about. When white people get a job they feel they are the best appilicant, but when black people get a job there is always a fear that others would assume they got the job based on other factors. This is unfair but the reality of where we are as a nation.
While we chose different ideas to discuss, I feel like these can all be connected in many different ways but one main way is through media. Media is the most common way any of us gets our information and to see these things repeatedly slanted in one direction changes our perspective. This has been a true propaganda tool both intentionally as well as unintentionally. I think that by having the dominant group control what people read, watch, see and think about has an undeniable affect in favor of that group. Also, depending upon the imagery, it can have an incredibly detrimental affect on the non-dominant group. The effects of the media appear to be rarely considered and continue to perpetuate stereotypes (positive for the dominant group and negative for the non-dominant group) and promote fear.
If we were to start a campaign of reprogramming that actually showed all people as equal I think there would be a shift in the perceptions of mainstream culture. This would inevitably change the relationships between people, I feel, in a positive way. There will certainly always be people who are racist, sexist, homophobic, classist etc. but we can do our best to limit those people to a minority.
I think many people would admit that racism is in part unintentional. We need to act in order to ensure that there is a change in the ways that we think. White privelege may not be something that many White people are fully aware of. Media certaintly plays a huge part as does politics. I feel that we have many years ahead of us before racism will end.